Category Archives: Winter interest

Since the summer, when I went on a garden tour in Hudson, Wis. (a highly recommended tour) and saw these twig balls, I’ve been interested in making some kind of twig decor. You can buy them in many nurseries and … Continue reading →

“Well, you got what you wanted,” my husband said as he stomped the snow off his feet from shoveling our back deck. Over the past 24 hours, we got a good coating of ice (not what I wanted!) followed by … Continue reading →

I’m not sure which is more disconcerting–that I spent 15 minutes outside today wearing only a cardigan and was comfortable doing it, or that I found an unusual number of signs of life in the garden. Just a reminder: It’s … Continue reading →

A Gardener’s Reading, 15 of 30 By Suzy Bales (Rodale Press, 2007) Gardeners in the North are often told to console themselves through the long winter by planting a garden with “winter interest.” Give yourself something to look at during … Continue reading →

Today, folks from the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association are scheduled to hang two massive holiday wreaths at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. I was fortunate yesterday to observe Diane Lee, who has made the … Continue reading →

Here’s a fascinating bit of information picked up at this morning’s Master Gardener class at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. How much difference does snow make in insulating plants? According to researchers at Rutger’s University, 9 inches of snow cover can … Continue reading →

We had our first display of hoar frost today. This is why I leave some flowers and seed heads out for winter interest. When the plants are colder than the dew point and air temperatures are also low, ice crystals … Continue reading →